By Danielle Kutchel
Students at Cranbourne West Secondary College have led the school in a ceremony to commemorate Anzac Day.
It was a first for the school, which only opened this year and currently houses 200 year 7 students.
Principal Rob Duncan said students felt it was important to have a service to remember fallen service men and women.
Due to the placement of school holidays this year, there wasn’t much time to get the service organised.
Mr Duncan said he met with students on the first day of term two to discuss whether to have a ceremony.
He said students were keen to hold one before the day, and Friday 23 April was chosen as the date.
The four school captains and four vice captains then worked together to design the service.
“The students spoke to me about how they wanted it to look,” he explained, adding he was “really proud” of their achievement in pulling the event together.
On the day, students entered the library and listened attentively as the school captains gave a speech on the birth of the Anzac legend and Australia’s involvement in wars over the years.
The vice captains laid a wreath, and an integration aide sung the Australian and New Zealand national anthems, accompanied by a staff member from a nearby school on guitar.
The event concluded with the Last Post and reveille.
Mr Duncan said marking Anzac Day was important as it showed respect for history and the sacrifices of others.
He said the school plans to host an Anzac Day event each year.
“Every year it’ll become a student-led activity, as it should be,” Mr Duncan said.
“It’s their school, their country, their traditions. I think it’s important that students continue to lead it.”
